Minister of State (MoS) in the Prime Minister's Office Jitendra Singh said the Indian armed forces are a 'soft target' for the Opposition parties in Jammu and Kashmir.

Singh's comments come after former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah expressed anguish over the death of a civilian by a CRPF vehicle during clashes outside Srinagar's Jamia Masjid on Friday night.

"Nothing is more condemnable than the attack on the security forces. We owe a lot to the security forces as they have been guarding us by putting their lives at stake. Nothing can condone any such attack on the security forces," Singh.

"Having said that, the Kashmir-centric political circles find army and security forces a soft target, and they are quick to condemn anything even if it is unsubstantiated.

"By doing this, they have developed cold feet because they neither have the courage nor the conviction to call a terrorist a 'terrorist' as they can retaliate back. This hypocrisy now stands exposed in front of the people of India," Singh added.

While expressing his ire over the incident, Abdullah tweeted, "Earlier they tied people to the fronts of jeeps and paraded them around villages to deter protestors. Now they just drive their jeeps right over protestors. Is this your new SOP @MehboobaMufti sahiba? Ceasefire means no guns so use jeeps?"